I will soon be mounting an IOR 2.5-10x42 Scope on a Remington 700 LSS .243. I will be using the new Talley stainless 30mm rings, which won't be available until some time in June. That's ok though, because the scope also won't be available until some time in June. I have heard that the Talley rings are really good, which is why I ordered them, but I have a question about the mounting process. Since these rings are supposed to be very precisely machined, would it be beneficial or recommended to lap them before mounting the scope? I already have everything that I need to mount the scope (torque wrench, leveling system, bore sighter, gun vise, Loctite, etc...) but I don't have the tools to lap the rings, and I would rather not make an investement in a tool that I don't need. This business has already gotten out of control as it is. LOL

For starters, keep in mind this is a controversial topic that will generate conflicting opinions.

In general, whenever you're dealing with seperate 2-piece bases, the quality of the rings/bases have little to do with whether or not lapping may be necessary, because even the most precisely made and aligned rings cannot correct for misaligned receiver mount surfaces or mount screw holes. This problem is extremely common on factory production rifles. This doesn't necessarily mean the rifle is of poor quality, it's just that every manufactured product is made to acceptable production tolerances, meaning some allowable deviation from the unachievable, theoretically perfect, nominal dimensions. Even misalignment of a few 0.001" in the mounts is less than optimal, even if it doesn't create any problems. Best case, the misalignment will be compensated by the scope's adjustments, though it can create ring marks on the scope tube. Worst case, misalignment can cause you to use an excessive amount of your scope's adjustment range or stress the tube, potentially causing tracking problems and even degrade your scope's optical performance due to lens misalignment. This is a frequently misunderstood aspect of scope mounting, because people tend to forget the receiver itself is part of the mounting equation, thinking that good quality rings will eliminate all problems. Unless the rings are self compensating for alignment, this couldn't be further from the truth, no matter how well they're made. Most of the time, the amount of misalignment isn't significant enough to create a noticeable problem, which is why most people don't see the need for lapping. I always lap any rings that aren't self-compensating as a matter of course simply because it doesn't take much time and effort and I like knowing everything was done right. When you spend a lot of money for a good scope and rings, the little extra effort and money spent lapping the rings seems pretty insignificant to me, especially since you do it once and forget about it. Again, the quality of the rings can have some influence on alignment, but DO NOT guarantee that there won't be alignment problems.

However, vertically split rings like Talley and Warne are more difficult to lap than horizontally split rings, and the vertically split rings will flex and compensate for misalignment somewhat, so I'd recommend you not lap these rings unless you notice problems like having to use too much adjustment to zero the rifle.

Of course the other option is simply to use scope rings with the inserts like the Burris Signature, which self-align.

Ted

Money can't buy happiness... but it's much more comfortable to cry in a Porsche than on a bicycle.

Thanks Rilfedude. I might just go ahead and get the lapping kit. What could it hurt? I'm just so anxious waiting on the scope and rings that I can't stand it. I'm ready to start shooting. I would have to order both a scope and rings that aren't released until June. Maybe I'll just take my old .22 to the range. Of course it needs a new scope and rings and the barrel needs to be recrowned. Oh, and the rear trigger guard screw is missing. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

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